“Infinity Broadcasting Corp., a terrestrial radio company whose business model is being challenged by the iPod phenomenon, is borrowing a page from its rival’s playbook,” Seth Sutel reports for The Associated Press. “Next month, Infinity will convert an underperforming station in San Francisco to a format that will play only ‘podcasts,’ or amateur recordings distributed via the Internet to listeners’ iPods and other digital music players.”
Sutel reports, “Infinity, which is part of the Viacom Inc. media conglomerate that also owns CBS and MTV, announced Wednesday that it would convert its KYCY-AM station in San Francisco to the new format on May 16. Infinity said it would be the first time a radio station anywhere played an all-podcast format. Robert Unmacht, a radio consultant in Nashville who tracks radio formats, confirmed that it would be the first such station in the United States.”
Sutel reports, “Podcasts have become popular in the past several months with the booming use of Apple Computer Inc.’s iPods and other portable digital listening devices. Podcasts are essentially audio files that people make on their own and then upload to Internet sites. Listeners can then copy them to their devices and play them whenever they want… Joel Hollander, the CEO of Infinity, said the station, which would be promoted under the name KYOURADIO, would run material submitted by listeners but screened to make sure it conforms with federal broadcasting standards for decency.”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple’s iPod can bring the world to users thanks to podcasts – April 19, 2005
Podcasting grows to 6 million listeners – April 04, 2005
PlayPod 1.0b RSS podcast client released – March 03, 2005
BBC tests Podcast feed – November 22, 2004
‘Podcasting’ brings personalized audio programs to your iPod – September 30, 2004
Are the podcast creators going to be compensated for the airplay?
If the radio station makes money off of the advertising space, then there should be some payment structure set up to promote quality, entertaining, informative, podcasts…
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Then again, podcasters ARE giving away their stuff for free, intentionally. This gives them a bigger audience without costing them anything.
Meanwhile it DOES cost the station to broadcast, and provide this service to listeners. So you could think of it as them making money on that–the broadcasting itself–rather than on the content.
Much the same as ISPs, then. They sell the service (but directly rather than through adcertising dollars) and pay nothing to free content providers–including podcasters.
I can see it making some sense either way. Luckily the podcasters are in control of how THEY want things to work!
Each of them can specify whatever terms/license they want. That can include demadning payment for re-broadcast, or not permitting it at all.
Could be an interesting business model if this becomes profitable for BOTH stations AND podcasters
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> Pretty cool if you create a quality podcast and then see it turn into an income before your eyes.
I’m in the broadcast industry. I don’t have an account at the SJMN but the station they are talking about is AM 1550 KYCY. You can see some information about the station and the coverage patterns here. This station is a real stinker as far as ratings go, and podcast certainly aren’t going to help. I am not really sure how this qualifies as “Apple and Mac News” though.
Yup, Property/Copy Rights… will make them station lawyers a pretty penny to figure out the deals. Could get interesting, tho. Like the Blogger phenomenon, average Joe becoming recognized (caughmarketablecaugh)?